The Boise State Broncos took advantage of three quarters of Southern Miss sloppiness - five turnovers, two missed field goals, etcetera, etcetera - to lead 30-0 and win going away, 40-14.
Tyler Gray and Darian Thompson had picks; Tyler Horn, Sam Ukwuachu, and Josh Borgman had fumble recoveries. Gray's interception led to the first points of the game on a Matt Miller 11-yard touchdown catch one play later. Ukwuachu's strip-sack and fumble recovery came at the end of the first half and was followed up two plays later with a 33-yard Joe Southwick-to-Chris Potter score with six seconds left in the half for a 23-0 lead.
The Golden Eagles outgained Boise State by 100 yards, not that the scoreboard reflected as much. The Broncos capitalized on Southern Miss turnovers with quick points and took their 23-0 lead without a single third down conversion. This game was weird inasmuch as it felt like the Broncos should have won by 60 points and they should have been trailing by several points. It doesn't make any sense, but neither does much else this season.
A weird 4-1 is better than a normal 3-2.
It was over when ...
Kirby Moore took a short pass from Joe Southwick and ran 27 yards into the end zone for a 37-7 Bronco lead early in the fourth quarter.
Box score MVP
The best box score from Boise State was Joe Southwick's 201 yards passing and three scores. It was that kind of day for the Bronco offense - good when it counted, okay all the other times. D.J. Harper had 14 carries for 51 yards and two scores. Matt Miller had 4 catches for 32 yards and a score. Kirby Moore led BSU receivers with 5 catches for 61 yards and a score.
Gamblers Anonymous question
Did Boise State cover? Yes. The Broncos were favored by nine points and won by 26.